


Cause where we are going is anyone's guess

by eringeosphere



Series: They say he wandered very far [3]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: (Scamander Version), Backstory, Brotherly Affection, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 21:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9461363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eringeosphere/pseuds/eringeosphere
Summary: Out takes and backstory snippets to 'It's always the quiet ones'.Chapter 1: That time with the wards and the collapsing building.Tags to be updated as new stuff is posted!





	

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so many many people have requested various things, and a common theme appears to either be Newt vs Theseus or dragons. 
> 
> Um. This is neither of those things, but it was a backstory section which actually deigned to be written. I'm working on the others, I promise!
> 
> (I also think I may have de-annoned this one? Maybe? Which may have been a tactical error but we'll see :) ).

A few months into Newt’s job working with dragons as part of the Ministry of Magic’s war strategy, his older brother pays him a visit. It’s the beginning of a cool spring morning, and Theseus announces his presence by interrupting Newt halfway through his first cup of tea and dragging him out of his small room in the dragon handler’s camp without so much as a by-your-leave.

Newt’s mind is foggy enough thanks to a lack of both sleep and a lack of caffeine that he doesn’t start protesting until his brother has already managed to get him most of the way out of the camp, at which point it’s far too late. When pressed for answers, it turns out that Theseus has a day of leave from his own position in the Ministry of Magic war department, and has decided that an acceptable way to spend his time off is to spend it investigating a building in a town somewhere in Northern France that somehow managed to remain standing despite a bombardment by both muggle artillery and spellwork.

Newt finally digs his heels into the earth just outside the wards of the camp and manages to pull his brother to a halt. ‘That’s wonderful, Theseus,’ he says, once his brother has finished his somewhat longwinded explanation, ‘But what does that have to do with me?’

Theseus throws a disarming smile Newt’s way, which Newt recognises as the one that he used to use on the professors at Hogwarts whilst he was talking his way out of trouble. Newt remains unaffected and raises an eyebrow at his brother, waiting.

Theseus deflates slightly. ‘I thought it would be fun. And I know I can count on you to watch my back whilst I’m there.’

_Dammit_. Newt thinks. It’s awfully hard to refuse Theseus when he goes and says something like that.

‘You’ll go with or without me, won’t you?’ he asks, wryly. The siblings are similar in that regard - once decided on a course of action, trying to change their minds is rather like trying to move a mountain. ‘I suppose I’ll have to keep an eye on you, then.’

Theseus whoops in delight. ‘Right, grab my arm, I’ll side along you.’

Newt shakes his head, checks that his wand is stowed within easy reach and grips his brother’s elbow. The world lurches as Theseus disapparates, and they reappear a few on the outskirts of a small village that has been mostly reduced to rubble.

The building that Theseus is interested in is the only which remains standing in the abandoned town. It barely seems scratched, despite the destruction to the building surrounding it. Newt has to admit it is suspicious. The two of them stop just outside the property fence.

Theseus glances around briefly to check for any observers before drawing his wand, although he needn’t have bothered - the entire town is completely deserted.

‘Keep an eye out,’ he asks Newt as begins casting detection charms at the building.

Newt huffs but complies. A few minutes later Theseus stops.

‘Well?’ Newt asks. He’d quite like to finish up and get back to his cup of tea.

‘Well.’ Theseus says. ’There are a few wards up, but they’re old. Years old at least. And they’re the alarm sort, designed to let someone at the main house know if the gate opens. Probably a wizarding family who decided to ward their home.’

‘Great.’ Newt replies. ‘Can we go, then? I hardly had breakfast.’

Theseus turns back to him. ‘After we’ve come all this way? I’m at least going to have a look inside.’

And before Newt can stop him, he pushes open the gate and starts up the path. Newt stares after him for a moment in exasperation before swearing and hurrying after him.

‘Did you even take the wards down?’ he asks when he’s caught up, just as his brother is unlocking the front door.

‘I told you, they were alarm wards. Nothing to worry about.’

Theseus steps across the threshold and Newt follows, remarking, ‘If this goes wrong, I’m not going to let you forget it.’

****

The inside of the house is coated with a thick layer of dust, and further investigation reveals a small sitting room and a downstairs kitchen, complete with a couple plates with the rotten remains of an abandoned meal on them. Theseus meanders around the table at the centre of the room, Newt pausing near the stove to poke at one of the dials on the front.

‘Whomever lived here likely have left in a hurry.’ he remarks, rummaging around in a few of the kitchen cupboards.

Suddenly, a high pitched, continuous whistle goes off. Newt flinches and jams his hands over his ears.

‘What on earth -‘

Theseus draws his wand in alarm and casts a silencing spell that has absolutely no effect. Around the walls of the kitchen, a pale yellow glow illuminates a series of runes carved into the wood work and the entire house abruptly starts shaking.

‘I thought you said that there were warning spells only!’ Newt yells above the sound of the alarm.

‘I must have missed one!’ his brother yells back, lunging for Newt and attempting to apparate them out of the house, only to feel like he tried to walk through a brick wall.

‘Shit.’ Thesues says, his eyes going wide with alarm. 'I think a set of anti apparation wards must have triggered.’

The entire building is tearing itself apart at this point, and large chunks of masonry are falling down from the ceiling. One piece falls directly down above Theseus, and Newt doesn’t quite manage to get a warning out before the chunk of brickwork clips his brother on the head. Theseus staggers into him and Newt is forced to wrap both of his arms around his brother’s torso to stop the two of them falling over.

Newt snarls in frustration.The anti-apparation wards are still functional, but at this point, Newt simply doesn’t care. He grits his teeth, hangs onto his brother and shoves his will and magic at the wards, ignoring the destination and instead focusing on the pressing need to _get the hell out_ of the house. There’s a feeling not unlike a rubber band snapping as something in the wards gives and suddenly Newt and Theseus are standing in a field.

Newt’s legs abruptly turn to jelly and he wobbles. His brother attempts to keep them upright but between them their balance goes entirely and they pitch sideways onto the ground.

‘I told you.’ Newt said.

Theseus groans. ‘I know, I know. Next time I’ll pay more attention.’

Sitting up, Theseus looks around. ‘Any idea where we are?’

The field they’re in doesn’t give them any useful hints - it looks like just about every other pasture field.

‘No idea.’ Newt replies, looking around as well. ‘I wasn’t really aiming for anywhere in particular, just so long as it wasn’t in that house.’

Theseus shakes his head, admiration painted across his face. ‘Anyone else, and they’d probably have splinched themselves. Nice job.’

Newt casts a healing spell on the wound on his brother’s head and between the two of them they manage to stand upright. Newt’s legs are still a little shaky from the strain of the apparition but they manage to make it up the slight hill to the edge of the field. They climb over the gate and then come to an abrupt halt at the view down the other side of the hill.

‘Newt.’ Theseus begins incredulously. ‘Is that Mrs Thornhill’s cottage?’

Newt is equally surprised. ‘I… think so? It certainly looks like it.’

‘Mrs Thornhill’s cottage. In _Dorset_.’

‘Um.’

‘ _Dorset_ , Newt. Dorset, _South England_.’

‘Yes thank you, I know where Dorset is.’

‘We were in FRANCE, Newt!’

‘Apparently,’ Newt says dryly. ‘Not anymore.’

Theseus opens his mouth, closes it again and then rubs a hand over his face.

‘Did you even know you could apparate that far?’

Newt doesn’t reply, mostly because a wave of dizziness hits him hard enough to make him tilt sideways, and Thesues is forced to catch him before Newt faceplants into the muddy field.

‘Oi, Newt. Newt!’

‘Tired.’ he mutters into the front of his brother’s coat. ‘Give me a minute and then I’ll see about getting us back.’

Newt feels Theseus’ snort of disbelief more than he hears it.

‘Like hell.’ Theseus replies, shifting his grip on Newt, picking him up completely and starting to move down the hill. ‘You are going to take as long as you need to recover and then you can see about getting us back. A few hours won’t make any difference.’

Newt makes a vague noise of protest, but he’s fairly comfortable in his brother’s arms and his eyes keep slipping closed of their own accord.

'350 miles through anti-apparation wards, with a passenger, little brother. You’ve earned a rest.’

****

Sure enough, Newt wakes up several hours later on the sofa in Mrs Thornhill’s cottage to the sound of his brother chatting to the old widow. After a quick meal, the siblings make their way to the edge of the property line. Newt wordlessly offers his elbow to Theseus, who grasps it firmly. Newt focuses on the edge of the dragon handlers' camp that they’d left earlier that morning and takes a step forwards. They reappear directly in front of the main gates and rather badly startle the sentry on duty.

Theseus lets go of his brother’s arm and sighs, before squaring his shoulders, and Newt can see the moment when ‘Theseus, older brother’ is put aside for 'Theseus Scamander, MoM auror.'

Theseus nods once, short and sharp, then disapparates back to his own headquarters. Newt stares at the empty space a moment longer before heading around the outside of the camp. He’s got some dragons to look after.


End file.
